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Biography of Wendy Rosen
Wendy Rosen, founder and president of The Rosen Group in Baltimore, Md., started her business in the classic entrepreneurial way: she saw a need others had overlooked, and she moved quickly and decisively to fill it. Twenty-five years ago, a potter at a local craft show informed her that craft artists desperately needed business assistance. Her interest piqued, Rosen set out to learn more about artists’ business needs. Within weeks, Rosen had uncovered a market for providing business services to artists.
Founded in 1981, The Rosen Group was created to provide American and Canadian artists with the opportunities and guidance to grow their business and compete in the global marketplace. The company accomplishes this mission through its tradeshow, three arts publications and its nonprofit trade association.
The Buyers Market of American Craft (1982) is the nation’s largest wholesale craft trade show. Held semiannually, the Buyers Market offers artists the opportunity to create long-term business relationships with over 3,000 galleries throughout the United States and Canada. NICHE magazine (1988) is a quarterly trade publication for craft retailers. AmericanStyle magazine (1994) is the exclusive arts lifestyle publication for enthusiasts, collectors and travelers. The American Made Alliance (2005), the non-profit arm of The Rosen Group, works with federal legislators and officials to create and enforce laws that promote, protect and preserve the American craft industry.
In 1994, Rosen authored Crafting as a Business, which addresses topics such as pricing, product development and public relations. The book went into a second printing in only 60 days, and sold 1,000 copies in just over one minute on the QVC television home shopping network. Crafting as a Business is currently in its third printing. In 1997, Rosen produced Crafting an AmericanStyle, a 60-minute PBS documentary that explores the rich history of the American Arts & Crafts movement from 1900 to the present. In 2004, the documentary aired in more than 75 media markets across the United States. Today the documentary continues to educate audiences on the history and modern transformation of American craft.
Ms. Rosen's distinguished career in arts marketing, publishing and advocacy has led to numerous accolades. The Baltimore Business Journal named The Rosen Group one of Baltimore's largest woman-owned businesses in both 2003 and 2004. In 2005, Rosen was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record, a business and legal daily newspaper. In 2006, The Rosen Group was one of three businesses in Maryland to receive the Blue Ribbon Small Business Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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